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Pierson Guardsmen Smoky Hill retires after vie for top hosts 39 years of marksmen Operation Air service . .2 title . .6 Force . .9 PlPlaaininss GuGuaardirdiaann Volume 53 No. 4 Serving the Kansas Army and Air National Guard, Kansas Emergency Management, Kansas Homeland Security and Civil Air Patrol September 2010 Kansas Soldiers take over force protection mission in Africa By Sgt. 1st Class Shawn Graham CJTF-HOA Public Affairs “We are here to be diplo- The 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, mats and strengthen our 137th Infantry Regiment, Kansas National Guard, conducted a Relief in Place and partnership with the Dji- Transfer of Authority with the 1st Battal- boutian people.” ion, 65th Infantry Regiment, Puerto Rico Lt. Col. Gregg Mittman National Guard, June 24 at Camp Lemon- nier, Djibouti. The Kansas battalion as- sumed the lead in force protection and Lt. Col. Greg Mittman, 2-137th CAB bat- standing watch duties at the camp. talion commander, said he was excited to as- Relief in Place and Transfer of Authority sume his duties and responsibilities in is the process where one battalion takes the Djibouti. He also said Africa presents chal- place of another. Over the course of several lenges unlike any he experienced on his pre- days, each member of the oncoming team vious deployments to Iraq or Afghanistan. followed his counterpart, trying to absorb “The Combined Joint Task Force-Horn every aspect of that job. of Africa mission is different because we Maj. Albert Irizarry, 1-65th Infantry Reg- are not involved in a kinetic environment,” iment battalion commander, said duty at said Mittman. “We are here to be diplomats Camp Lemonnier was a great experience and strengthen our partnership with the for the battalion’s leadership. Djiboutian people.” “This ceremony was symbolic,” said “Our Soldiers want to develop a bond with Irizarry. “It means a lot for us and it vali- the people of this country and experience dates our Soldier’s sacrifices and hard their rich history and culture,” said Mittman. work. The men and women of the Puerto “Most Americans will never get an opportu- The command flag of Camp Lemonier, Djibouti, is passed from one unit to another Rico National Guard met the challenges nity to visit a place so rich in culture.” during a Transfer of Authority ceremony for Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of head on and they should be commended.” Command Sgt. Maj. Troy Hester said Africa mission. (Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Shawn Graham) Irizarry also said the 2/137th CAB has every Soldier was ready to get the deploy- been learning local procedures and prepar- ment started. Joint exercise tests civilian, ing to fully assume force protection and “The HOA mission is a unique opportunity watch standing duties. (Continued on Page 3) military first responders Himalayan peak the next challenge By Sgt. Jason Lee scenario was.” Public Affairs Office The overall objective of the exercise was for Kansas National Guardsman Crisis City, a training site for emergency to test how well the first responder agencies By Stephen D. Larson ments, Isaacson was injured twice, the first responders in Salina, hosted Operation worked together in a real world situation. Public Affairs Office time in 2005 by the explosion of a land Smoky Hill, a first responder exercise July “The training has been incredibly realistic “I need a challenge in life,” says Kansas mine set off by a 11-18 that included nearly 300 participants in my opinion,” said Coots.”And I know for National Guard Capt. Aaron “Ike” Isaacson. vehicle as he from local, state and federal agencies. a fact that all of the first responders at the Isaacson has already seen plenty of chal- walked beside it. The training event began with a preplan- local, state and federal levels that partici- lenges, including deployments to Iraq in The explosion ning phase with participating agencies de- pated have achieved their exercise objectives 2004, 2005 and 2006, followed by a tour in damaged his hear- termining their roles in a given crisis. The and received some outstanding training.” Afghanistan in 2008. During these deploy- ing and caused exercise went into action when a simulated The eight day Operation Smoky Hill exer- minor head and bomb derailed a train and a second simu- cise encompassed members from the state to neck trauma. These lated detonation took down a high-rise county and federal government. Participants injuries resulted in apartment building. From there, first re- included the Kansas Division of Emergency his award of the sponders from across Kansas took action. Management, Kansas Department of Health Purple Heart. “They developed a plan. It was an all- and Environment, Kansas Highway Patrol, PAID hazard plan,” said Frank Coots, Crisis City Isaacson’s sec- Capt. Aaron Isaacson Kansas Regional Search and Rescue Team, PRSRT STD PRSRT SALEM, OR U.S. POSTAGE ond major injury manager. “They did not know what the (Continued on Page 2) PERMIT NO. 178 PERMIT was during his Afghanistan deployment. While conducting combat operations along the Pakistan boarder he broke his right leg. But those challenges did not keep him from taking on a new one—climbing to the top of a mountain in Nepal. Isaacson, a member of the Kansas National Guard’s 69th Troop Command, will join a team of wounded warriors from other branches of the U.S. military for a “Soldiers to the Sum- mit” expedition Oct. 2-21, 2010, that will take them to the top of Mount Lobuche, a 20,075 foot peak located just 8.7 miles from Mount Everest. The expedition is organized by World TEAM Sports, a non-profit organ- ization that showcases what can be achieved by disabled athletes through the power of an inclusive and diverse team. “I’ve always been impressed by the spirit of our fighting men and women, es- pecially our wounded warriors,” said Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting, the adjutant general. “I’ve met so many of them who, although 2800 Topeka Blvd. 2800 Topeka OFFICIAL BUSINESS OFFICIAL they have been wounded, sometimes terri- Adjutant General of Kansas Topeka, Kansas 66611-1287 Topeka, Penalty For Private Use, $300 DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY THE OF DEPARTMENT bly so, they don’t give up. They say ‘I’m Members of Kansas Task Force 3 extricate a “victim” trapped in a collapsed struc- NATIONAL GUARD OF KANSAS GUARD OF NATIONAL not going to let this beat me’ and they ture during Operation Smoky Hill, an interagency training exercise conducted at don’t. They deserve our honor and respect, Crisis City, a multiuse training facility at the Great Plains Joint Training Center, DEPARTMENT AND AIR OF THE ARMY FORCE DEPARTMENT (Continued on Page 6) Salina. (Photo by Jane Welch, Public Affairs Office) Page 2 Plains Guardian • September 2010 Division command was “best experience of my entire career” Maj. Gen. M. Wayne Pierson, command- three years and nine training events, including a year-long de- ing care of their families,” Pierson said. ing general of the 35th Infantry Division, months. As the ployment to Kosovo; a successful overseas “People that serve with me understand that Kansas Army National Guard, will pass the commander, I have deployment for training to South Korea in my first priority is always Soldiers and division colors to a new commander Aug. had the distinct support of Operation Key Resolve with just their families.” 28, closing a long and distinguished career privilege of serving over two months notice and fielding of the “No Soldier is successful in the military of dedication and service to the National with some of the Army’s Battle Command Systems, making without a supportive spouse or family,” Guard. best officers and the division the first National Guard divi- Pierson said. “I’ve been so very fortunate. Pierson’s 39-year military career will noncommissioned sion to be fully fielded ABCS. During his If you look over my career, I could never come to an end, but his mark on the divi- officers the Guard command, the division also assumed re- have accomplished what I have without the sion, where he spent more than 14 years of has to offer.” sponsibility for designing one of the first support of my wife and family.” his military service, will endure. Under Pierson’s two Domestic All-Hazards Response He admits that time away from family is “The best experience of my entire career leadership, the Maj. Gen. M. Wayne Teams in the National Guard. a major sacrifice asked of every Soldier was to be commander of the 35th Infantry 35th ID has taken Pierson “We have been tasked with numerous serving their country. Division,” Pierson said. “It has been an the lead on several missions, some with very short response “I think what I regret most was what I honor to command the 35th over the past important National Guard missions and times, and some, like DART, that we essen- missed with my wife and children. I can tially developed from concept to implemen- never go back and make that up,” Pierson tation,” Pierson said. “But no matter the said. “Yet, you have to balance that with Joint training exercise mission, when I asked this division staff to your love of country. Thank God we have Continued from Page 1 One of the goals of Operation Smoky respond, they did, and with 110 percent ef- families that understand that and we have Kansas Civil Air Patrol, Kansas and Ne- Hill was to certify the Nebraska National fort and commitment to mission success. I people, like my wife, who love this country braska National Guard, Major Emergency Guard’s Chemical, Radiological, Nuclear, am proud of everyone in the division for and who know how important it is to sup- Response Group, Kansas Bureau of Investi- and High-Yield Explosive Enhanced Re- their work over the last three and a half port the Soldiers and their families who gation, Saline County Emergency Manage- sponse Force Package (CERFP) team.

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